Losing My Perspicacity, September 17, 2025

Good morning and Happy Wednesday! Thanks for reading this morning.

Yesterday, we said goodbye to Robert Redford. I was born after most of Redford’s biggest movies were made, but, like so many other Americans, I was deeply affected by his films. Too young for his leading man roles opposite the likes of Barbara Streisand (The Way We Were) and Jane Fonda (Barefoot in the Park), I was more familiar with Redford as a larger-than-life protagonist from movies like The Sting, Out of Africa, and Sneakers.

Looking back over Redford’s IMDB page, it’s remarkable how many films he was in that were just really good movies, like The Great Gatsby, The Natural, Legal Eagles, and A River Runs Through It. Even in his later years, he gave us Spy Game, Captain America: The Winter Soldier (still the best Marvel movie, IMHO), and Lions for Lambs.

But it’s All The President’s Men that stands out for me as Redford’s best work on-screen. My beloved AP History teacher, Shirley McDonnell (RIP), showed us the film during our Watergate chapter in her class, and I have not been as riveted by anything since. Redford’s Bob Woodward is so principled, so professional, and so smart compared to the government idiots he’s investigating. He made journalism look so cool — and he did it in courduroy pants! It was then and there that I decided I wanted to be an investigative reporter, and I am far from alone. My guess is that most of us who went to J-School in the ‘90s have All The President’s Men to thank.

Redford “only” directed 10 films during his career, but wow, did he make them count. Ordinary People, his first time behind the camera, is possibly objectively the best movie I’ve ever seen — I still think about moments from it regularly. Quiz Show was an underrated triumph. A River Runs Through It is a movie all the men in my life adore, and I guess I can see the appeal. It’s certainly beautiful to look at.

His Hollywood work aside, Redford was an ally for all the right causes. In 1975, back when Ms. Magazine was still considered subversive and problematic by many American men, Redford appeared on the cover.

Here’s what Ms. wrote about Redford today.

Robert Redford had the soul of a poet wrapped up in the body of a male model, and he used his gifts in the best possible ways. We’re all better for having witnessed his art. Rest in power.

Today: Kash Patel goes nuts before Congress; The Trump crypto story that’s getting zero traction; Trump is getting worse; and The High Note.

Here we go.

Kash loses his marbles

So the Senate Judiciary Committee called FBI Director Kash Patel (guh) into the principal’s office today to ask him about all manner of things, not the least of which was his handling of the Charlie Kirk shooting and the turmoil inside the FBI, whose morale sounds about as high as the sports radio industry after COVID shut down sports.

It went pretty much the way we thought it would. Before we get to the details, I have to point out that being reminded what Patel’s voice actually sounds like makes the whole “See you in Valhalla” thing even funnier. Imagine Urkel saying, “See you in Valhalla,” and you get the gist.

Anyway, Patel went full-on angry PTA mom at several different points. He also said incredibly dumb things at pretty much every point. To wit:

“It’s my time. It’s my time!” See? Urkel.

Interestingly, the lawsuit filed against Patel by FBI fired agents claims that not only did Patel fire people for political retribution,  that’s exactly why he was doing it (see Page 50 of the complaint).

Someone clearly watched a lot of Jerry Springer in their downtime.

Finally, I’ll leave you with this gem:

We are living in the dumbest timeline. With the dumbest people in charge. And of the dumbest people, Patel is near the bottom of the pile.

Why isn’t this crypto corruption story getting more traction?

I’ll be honest, with everything that happened over the weekend, I’ve only dug into this story in the past 24 hours. Still, it seems like a big deal that should be getting a lot more attention from, well …everyone.

I’m not exactly versed in the world of finance, and I’m not even a novice when it comes to understanding crypto markets, but this seems like a bribe? Yes, I’m pretty sure that’s a bribe.

Perhaps we’ve all just accepted the fact that Donald Trump is as corrupt as they come and is using the White House to make as much as he can before his four years are up, but this kind of naked quid pro quo should be far more upsetting to Americans than the death of a podcaster who “debated” with college kids.

And, because it has worked for him every other time he has tried it, Trump is now suing the NYT for “disparaging” his TRUMP cryptocurrency project. Guess how much he wants? $15 billion.

I really can’t wait to see what Trump’s net worth is in 2028. It’s gonna be tens of billions more than when he was elected. Maybe then people will realize his entire Presidency was one big con of the American people.

Speaking of our terrible president, he said this yesterday

The earnest members of the White House Press Corps should get hazard pay for having to deal with this man day in and day out. It’s clear that Trump’s cognition is on the decline, and he makes up for it by being a complete ass to everyone.

First, he claimed a day or so ago that 75 percent of the US population had died as a result of drug use.

For reference, the current US population is 340.1 million. If you’ve been killed by drugs, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact a lawyer.

Then, there was this yesterday:

This is where I am always lamenting the WHPC not being quicker on their feet. Where was the follow-up question about how that squares with the First Amendment? “Mr. President, do you believe the 1A to the Constitution allows you to ‘go after’ Americans whose speech you disagree with?” “Mr. President, is that a threat? Are you threatening a reporter?”

This is not that hard a job. I renew my call to let me in the WHPC for one day. I promise to make it worth America’s while.

The High Note

Each Day, I do my best to leave you with a smile on your face, a song in your heart, and the will to fight another day.

Iowa will pay $85,000 to a group of LGBTQ+ students who were expelled from the state capital following a dispute over which bathroom they could use.

Bravo to everyone involved on the students’ side. Make them pay every time.

Survive and advance out there today, kids. Don’t let the bastards get you down!